Dear readers, the time has come to savor more extravagant-looking balls and witness new members of the ton in Bridgerton Season 2! The global phenomenon was amongst Netflix’s most-watched shows in 2021 after its Season 1 release. Given the amount of angst that fans experienced in the waiting room for this next chapter, many viewers had the chance to read through the novels by Julia Quinn that inspired the Shondaland installment. This means that all eyes were on the adaptation and whether it would be just as close to the original story as Season 1 was. Long story short, if you were looking for an enemies-to-lovers tale incorporating the iconic scenes from the book, this author regrets to inform you that several changes were made from The Viscount Who Loved Me.
From the inclusion of a love triangle to an emphasis on uncovering Lady Whistledown’s identity, here are 9 moments when Bridgerton Season 2 deviated from the second novel of Quinn’s book series.
Eloise Joins Society
Since the period drama is an expansion of the book realm, many side characters had the chance to occupy some extra time under the spotlight. Aside from Benedict (Luke Thompson) and the Featheringtons, Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jesse) was one of these characters with extended plotlines. The second-eldest daughter of the venerated family is now a debutant in the marriage market. Clearly uninterested in finding a perfect match amongst the eligible bachelors, Eloise finds ways to deviate from dance invitations to spend time with her best friend Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), who is secretly responsible for all those pamphlets under the Lady Whistledown pseudonym. Given that Eloise is fascinated by digging deep to uncover the witty writer’s mysterious identity, she gets close to an employee at a local printer’s shop called Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch). As the two join forces during the investigation, the bond almost hits the edge of a thing called love.
Lady Whistledown’s Mysterious Identity
Since viewers were already aware of Penelope’s secret after that Season 1 finale, in this new chapter there is an emphasis on the character’s behind-the-scenes process crafting each Lady Whistledown edition. This is different from the book series because Lady Whistledown’s identity only comes to light later on and there aren’t chapters written from her perspective other than the pamphlets that she delivers to the ton. From crossing words down in her manuscript to listening to private conversations between guests during the festivities, viewers know what Penelope is referring to whenever a scandalous observation is published. While Eloise is much invested in the quest to unravel Whistledown’s identity, she isn’t the only one. The queen, a character excluded from the books, isn’t keen on the opinionated commentary on her decision to find the diamond of the season. Throughout the episodes, we see her cleverly try to challenge Lady Whistledown’s assumptions and keep an eye out for anyone in society that seem suspicious.
From Sheffield to Sheffield-Sharma
In the original source work, the Sheffield family is Caucasian and has returned to London from living on the outskirts of England. Since the creative team behind the Netflix show wanted to include more diversity into the period narrative, they decided to convert Mary’s maiden name (Shelly Conn) to Sheffield and included Sharma as her late spouse’s surname. This alteration paved the way for multiple references to the South Asian culture, specifically India. From Kate (Simone Ashley) casually drinking a Chai tea to that intimate pre-wedding ritual, the inclusion didn’t merely rely on the casting choice.
Kate and Anthony’s Trauma
Now shifting the focus to Season 2’s leading couple. For book fans, part of the reason why Kate and Anthony’s (Jonathan Bailey) relationship became so memorable was due to their traumatic experiences dealing with the loss of their parents. Although the trauma was still addressed in the series, it wasn’t exactly like the novel. For instance, in the Netflix original, we witness Edmund’s death and the sudden implications that it had on Anthony’s role as the next in line to lead the Bridgerton household. However, there is no mention of Anthony fearing that he will die young because of his father’s passing.
Even though “Kanthony” eventually bonded due to their urge to fulfill their duties within their families, book fans couldn’t help but notice that Kate’s fear of thunderstorms wasn’t included in the adaptation to the screen. In fact, it’s pouring outside during many scenes, but the character doesn’t flinch at all.
The Bee Scene
An iconic and scandalous moment in The Viscount Who Loved Me is the bee scene! In it, Anthony tries to suck the venom out of Kate’s bosom after she is stung by a bee. The two are caught in this unflattering incident and are forced to marry, similarly to Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon (Regé-Jean Page). In the series, this scene was altered to a simple hand to the chest and a chemistry-filled gaze.
An Engagement + Wedding Ceremony
As mentioned above, in the book there is no hint of an engagement to Edwina (Charithra Chandran) nor a wedding between the youngest Sharma sibling and the Viscount. Given that the writers decided to take another route with this story, they surprised book readers with a plot twist. Anthony asks Edwina’s hand in marriage after he comes to the realization that he is attracted to Kate but can’t agree to a union based on love. The scene is heartbreaking to watch when there is that closeup on Kate’s face. Things extend to even further lengths when the engaged couple goes all the way to the altar before Edwina notices the passionate stares between her soon-to-be husband and her half-sister. She runs away a mere moment prior to saying "I do."
Kate and Edwina’s Rivalry
After Edwina evacuates from the ceremony, she is devastated at the notion that her half-sister was lying to her face by supporting the wedding as a way to maintain the Sharmas' finances. Although Kate did this with the best of intentions, Edwina doesn’t perceive it that way and different from the book she quickly draws the line in their sisterhood. It literally takes a near-death experience for them to rekindle their relationship.
Kate’s Accident
As mentioned before, Kate’s trauma from the novel doesn’t resurface in Season 2. However, there was an Easter egg reference made when Kate suffers a horse-riding accident during a storm. In the show, the writers probably thought of combining what happened to Kate’s mother with another circumstance from the novel in which Kate undergoes an accident in a carriage. Similarly, to that accident in the book, the one in the Netflix original also made Anthony admit his feelings for Kate. He then rethinks his decision to marry his true soulmate.
Eloise Discovers That Penelope is Lady Whistledown
Lastly in Season 2, there was the addition of Eloise finding out that Penelope is Lady Whistledown! Despite this happening later on in the book series, it doesn’t occur in the same way as the adaptation. Instead, here there is a feud between the two best friends leading Eloise to say that she would never want to see Penelope again or want her near her family. Following this argument, Penelope overhears Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) admitting that he would never court her. Clearly heartbroken, Penelope returns to her room, and to everyone’s surprise, she begins to write her next Lady Whistledown entry.
Now that Season 2 is over, and many changes were made to the book series, there are many questions that arise regarding the future of the show. Will there be more Kanthony scenes in Season 3 to repair the lack of them in this latest season? How will Lady Whistledown continue writing after Eloise uncovered her secret? While we wait for further details on Season 3, Bridgerton Season 2 is available to stream on Netflix.